MURRIETA  Just two days remained before today’s CIF Southern Section Division II-A championship, yet the mood Wednesday at the end of the Murrieta Valley High girls basketball practice seemed light.

The determination and hard work was still present, of course, but the smiles stood out as much as the illuminated scoreboard still reflecting the Nighthawks’ 60-56 overtime victory over Redondo Union in Tuesday night’s semifinal.

Nighthawks coach Scott Richards swore the display wasn’t intended. But for his team, it did symbolize strides and accomplishments the program made in three short years.

“I didn’t realize it until I looked up there,” Richards said, laughing. “But I figured I would keep it up. You could just see the excitement in these kids today. They have worked very hard for this opportunity.”

Richards took over the head coaching duties in 2009-2010 after a 16-11 season the year prior. And it was that season the team really began to flourish.

The Nighthawks won back-to-back Southwestern League championships in his first two seasons with 22 and 24 wins, respectively.

Murrieta Valley’s postseason success also improved, as it reached the quarterfinals in 2011 and the semifinals last season.

Now, the Nighthawks appear ready to take the next step, as they contend for their first section title in school history at 3:30 p.m. today against Culver City at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Senior and four-year veteran Karen Wolf has been there through this entire surge of success. For her, a section championship would be the best way to end her high school career.

“It would be an amazing cherry on top,” Wolf said. “I remember being here during my freshman year, and although the program was and always has been stable, it has really gone through a transformation.

“Over those four years, we have become a more intense team with an emphasis on fundamentals, and it has translated to more wins.”

The biggest improvement in 2012-2013, she said, has come from a more balanced offense.

“Compared to last season, the amount of different players scoring is the biggest difference,” Wolf said. “I’ve said that we are a ‘team’s team’ many times this year, but it’s the truth. Last year, we really only had two players producing offense, where this year we have four of our five starters averaging 10 points per game.”